TORONTO, Nov. 7, 2012 /CNW/ - Tonight in Toronto's Isabel Bader Theatre,
the Writers' Trust of Canada awarded $114,000 to Canadian writers at
the 12th annual Writers' Trust Awards. Comprising five awards for
literary merit and a sixth for long-standing service to the country's
literary community, the Awards provide the occasion for one of the
richest literary prize-giving events in Canada.

Tamas Dobozy was awarded the $25,000 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize for Siege 13,a collection of linked stories documenting the bloody siege of Budapest
during World War II and its haunting legacy for the survivors.

Three authors received awards for their excellence in literature: Nino Ricci, author of the Lives of the Saints trilogy, took home the $25,000 Writers' Trust Engel/Findley Award; Jean Little, who, nearly blind since birth, has overcome tremendous challenges to
write dozens of beloved books for young readers, received the $20,000Matt Cohen Award: In Celebration of a Writing Life; and Paul Yee, a writer who has documented the Chinese-Canadian experience from its
early days to the present, won the $20,000Vicky Metcalf Award for
Children's Literature.

The $10,000 Writers' Trust of Canada/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize
went to Alex Pugsley for "Crisis on Earth-X," a short story about a young boy whose family crisis leads him to
question his once unshakeable faith in his uncle.

An additional award for service to the writing community was presented
to the Metcalf Foundation, in recognition of its role in creating and sponsoring the Vicky
Metcalf Award for Children's Literature, which was presented for the
50th time tonight. Several past prizewinners appeared in a video to
talk about the obstacles that writers of children's literature in
Canada face and what receiving this prize has meant to them and their
careers.

The event was hosted by CBC Radio One broadcast journalist Shelagh Rogers.

"Tonight the Writers' Trust identifies and honours some of our most
gifted writers in Canada," said Peter Kahnert, Writers' Trust Chair and senior vice-president, corporate
communications and marketing, Raymond James Ltd. "These prizes
represent an affirmation of the talent on display in Canadian
literature, and the Writers' Trust is grateful to our many sponsors and
partners for their support in helping us shine a light on the efforts
of tonight's prizewinners and finalists."

Below are the prizes presented, with comments from the jurors. (Complete
jury citations are available at writerstrust.com, along with biographical information and high-resolution images.)

Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize ($25,000)
Winner:

Tamas Dobozy, Siege 13 (Thomas Allen Publishers)

"Siege 13 spans continents and decades, and in doing so illustrates once again
that old maxim: the short story can be both as broad and as deep as a
novel. These stories are never less than breathtaking."

Finalists:

Tim Bowling,The Tinsmith (Brindle & Glass Publishing)

Rawi Hage,Carnival (House of Anansi Press)

Alix Ohlin, Inside (House of Anansi Press)

Linda Spalding, The Purchase (McClelland & Stewart)

Each of the four finalists received $2,500. The winner and finalists
were chosen by a jury of Lynn Coady, Esi Edugyan, and Drew Hayden
Taylor. They read 116 books from 45 publishers. The prize is sponsored
by Rogers Communications Inc.

Writers' Trust Engel/Findley Award ($25,000)
Awarded to a writer in mid-career for a body of work.
Winner:

Nino Ricci

"There are layers upon layers of meaning within his stories, all of
which are presented with profound empathy, with compassion not only for
his characters but also for the messy human condition in which we
invariably find ourselves."

The winner was chosen by a jury composed of Stan Dragland, Wayne
Johnston, and Miriam Toews. The prize is sponsored by the Writers'
Trust of Canada Board of Directors, Amazon.ca, and David Ellins.

Matt Cohen Award: In Celebration of a Writing Life ($20,000)
Awarded to a writer dedicated to writing as a primary pursuit, for a
body of work.
Winner:

Jean Little

"Jean was a pioneer Canadian author, standing almost alone as a major,
internationally recognized Canadian children's author."

The winner was chosen by an award committee composed of Patsy Aldana,
Graeme Gibson, and Wayne Grady. The prize is sponsored by Marla and
David Lehberg.

Vicky Metcalf Award for Children's Literature ($20,000)
Awarded to a writer of children's literature for a body of work.
Winner:

Paul Yee

"Paul Yee has contributed uniquely and powerfully to our literary
landscape, bringing up many facets and varieties in the Canadian
experience of immigration."

The winner was chosen by a jury of Deirdre Baker, Ronald Jobe, and
Joanne Schwartz. The prize is sponsored by the Metcalf Foundation.

Writers' Trust of Canada/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize ($10,000)
Awarded for the best short story published by an emerging writer in a
Canadian literary magazine.
Winner:

Alex Pugsley, "Crisis on Earth-X"(The Dalhousie Review)

"['Crisis on Earth-X'] broke our hearts in the way an excellent story
can, so that we were gladto have them broken."

Finalists:

Kevin Hardcastle, "To Have to Wait" (The Malahat Review)

Andrew Hood, "Manning" (PRISM international)

Each of the finalists received $1,000, and the journal that originally
published the winning entry received $2,000. The finalists were chosen
by a jury of Michael Christie, Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer, and Kathleen
Winter. They read 82 stories from 28 journals. The prize is made
possible by James A. Michener's donation of his Canadian royalty
earnings from his 1988 novel Journey. In association with the prize, McClelland & Stewart published an
annual fiction anthology, The Journey Prize Stories, a collection of the 13 stories that formed the longlist for this
year's prize.

Writers' Trust Award for Distinguished Contribution
Awarded to an individual or organization for long-standing involvement
with the Writers' Trust and the Canadian literary community.
Winner:

Metcalf Foundation

"The Metcalf Foundation has for 50 years championed Canadian authors and
helped bring recognition to the brightest members of our country's
children's literature community."

The Writers' Trust Awards are made possible through generous support
from corporate, foundation, and individual sponsors. The media partner,
The Globe and Mail, provides additional support. The project is partially funded by the
Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage Canada
Book Fund. Partners supporting the program are Authors at Harbourfront
Centre, Ben McNally Books, CBC Radio One, CityTV, Ecentricarts, Maclean's, Park Hyatt Toronto, Push Design, Quill & Quire, Steam Whistle Brewing, and The Walrus.

About the Writers' Trust
The Writers' Trust of Canada is a charitable organization that seeks to
advance, nurture, and celebrate Canadian writers and writing through a
portfolio of programs, including literary awards, financial grants,
scholarships, and a writers' retreat. Writers' Trust programming is
designed to champion excellence in Canadian writing, to improve the
status of writers, and to create connections between writers and
readers. Canada's writers receive more financial support from the
Writers' Trust than from any other non-governmental organization or
foundation in the country.